Brazilian equities closed lower on Thursday, with sector backdrops tied to consumption, industrials and real estate lending downward pressure across the board. At the Sao Paulo close, the benchmark Bovespa index fell 0.46%.
On an individual stock basis, Petroleo Brasileiro SA (BVMF:PETR3) was the top performer among active names, advancing 4.19% - rising 2.16 points to finish at 53.76. Its preferred share counterpart, Petroleo Brasileiro SA PN (BVMF:PETR4), added 3.60% - up 1.69 points to end at 48.56. Companhia Brasileira De Distribuica (BVMF:PCAR3) also registered gains, climbing 1.73% or 0.04 points to close at 2.33.
On the downside, Sendas Distribuidora SA (BVMF:ASAI3) led decliners, tumbling 8.86% - a drop of 0.90 points to close at 9.27. Raizen SA Preferred (BVMF:RAIZ4) weakened 7.02% - declining 0.04 points to finish at 0.55. Apparel retailer Lojas Renner SA (BVMF:LREN3) fell 3.53% - down 0.55 points to 15.07 at the close.
Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the B3 Stock Exchange, with 541 stocks lower versus 451 that rose, while 38 shares finished unchanged.
Volatility as measured by the CBOE Brazil Etf Volatility index eased, falling 4.36% to 32.45, marking a new one-month low for implied volatility on Bovespa options.
Commodity prices moved unevenly during the session. Gold futures for June delivery were lower by 0.28% - a decrease of 13.51 to trade at $4,810.09 a troy ounce. Crude oil for delivery in May rose 2.44% - gaining 2.23 to reach $93.52 a barrel. The May US coffee C contract slipped 2.38% - down 7.25 to trade at $297.00.
Currency markets showed limited swings against the Brazilian real. The USD/BRL pair was effectively unchanged, moving 0.03% to 4.99, while the EUR/BRL rate declined 0.12% to 5.89. In broader dollar terms, US Dollar Index Futures ticked up 0.18% to 98.03.
Market context
- Broad-based weakness in Consumption, Industrials and Real Estate sectors was a primary driver of the decline in the Bovespa.
- Energy-related shares were among session leaders, with both common and preferred shares of Petroleo Brasileiro posting notable gains.
- Measured volatility declined to a one-month low even as commodities such as oil moved higher and gold retreated.